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Title: Carbon Dioxide Effects Research and Assessment Program. The role of tropical forests on the world carbon cycle

Abstract

Tropical forests constitute about half of the world's forest and are characterized by rapid rates of organic matter turnover and high storages of organic matter. Tropical forests are considered to be one of the most significant terrestrial elements in the equation that balances the carbon cycle of the world. As discussed in the paper by Tosi, tropical and subtropical latitudes are more complex in terms of climate and vegetation composition than temperate and boreal latitudes. The implications of the complexity of the tropics and the disregard of this complexity by many scientists is made evident in the paper by Brown and Lugo which shows that biomass estimates for tropical ecosystems have been overestimated by at least 100%. The paper by Brown shows that that rates of succession in the tropics are extremely rapid in terms of the ability of moist and wet forests to accumulate organic matter. Yet, in arid tropical Life Zones succession is slow. This leads to the idea that the question of whether tropical forests are sinks or sources of carbon must be analyzed in relation to Life Zones and to intensities of human activity in these Zones. The paper by Lugo presents conceptual models to illustratemore » this point and the paper by Tosi shows how land uses in the tropics also correspond to Life Zone characteristics. The ultimate significance of land use to the question of the carbon balance in a large region is addressed in the paper by Detwiler and Hall.« less

Authors:
; ;  [1]
  1. eds.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Florida Univ., Gainesville (USA). Center for Wetlands
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Health and Environmental Research
OSTI Identifier:
5254368
Report Number(s):
CONF-800350-
DOE Contract Number:  
AS05-78EV06047
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; LAND USE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; TROPICAL REGIONS; CARBON CYCLE; CARBON DIOXIDE; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; FORESTS; MASS TRANSFER; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MEETINGS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; ECOSYSTEMS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; 510200* - Environment, Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989); 510100 - Environment, Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989); 500200 - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Brown, S., Lugo, A. E., and Liegel, B. Carbon Dioxide Effects Research and Assessment Program. The role of tropical forests on the world carbon cycle. United States: N. p., 1980. Web. doi:10.2172/5254368.
Brown, S., Lugo, A. E., & Liegel, B. Carbon Dioxide Effects Research and Assessment Program. The role of tropical forests on the world carbon cycle. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5254368
Brown, S., Lugo, A. E., and Liegel, B. 1980. "Carbon Dioxide Effects Research and Assessment Program. The role of tropical forests on the world carbon cycle". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5254368. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5254368.
@article{osti_5254368,
title = {Carbon Dioxide Effects Research and Assessment Program. The role of tropical forests on the world carbon cycle},
author = {Brown, S. and Lugo, A. E. and Liegel, B.},
abstractNote = {Tropical forests constitute about half of the world's forest and are characterized by rapid rates of organic matter turnover and high storages of organic matter. Tropical forests are considered to be one of the most significant terrestrial elements in the equation that balances the carbon cycle of the world. As discussed in the paper by Tosi, tropical and subtropical latitudes are more complex in terms of climate and vegetation composition than temperate and boreal latitudes. The implications of the complexity of the tropics and the disregard of this complexity by many scientists is made evident in the paper by Brown and Lugo which shows that biomass estimates for tropical ecosystems have been overestimated by at least 100%. The paper by Brown shows that that rates of succession in the tropics are extremely rapid in terms of the ability of moist and wet forests to accumulate organic matter. Yet, in arid tropical Life Zones succession is slow. This leads to the idea that the question of whether tropical forests are sinks or sources of carbon must be analyzed in relation to Life Zones and to intensities of human activity in these Zones. The paper by Lugo presents conceptual models to illustrate this point and the paper by Tosi shows how land uses in the tropics also correspond to Life Zone characteristics. The ultimate significance of land use to the question of the carbon balance in a large region is addressed in the paper by Detwiler and Hall.},
doi = {10.2172/5254368},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5254368}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980},
month = {Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980}
}